Several retailers receiving the warning letters were also cited for illegally selling e-cigarettes to minors.

The move comes a week after FDA announced actions aimed at stopping sales of the best-selling e-cigarette brand JUUL to underage users.

In a press release, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, said no tobacco product should be marketed with imagery that may endanger young children or entice older children and teens.

"It's easy to see how a child could confuse these e-liquid products for something they believe they've consumed before - like a juice box," he said..."Companies selling these products have a responsibility to ensure they aren't putting children in harm's way or enticing youth use, and we'll continue to take action against those who sell tobacco products to youth and market products in this egregious fashion."

Not only the imagery could be seen as appealing to children. One retailer of 7 Daze's Pink Sticks describes the flavor as follows: "The rendition of strawberry cookies and vanilla frosting, drenched in sprinkles and covered pink and white frosting. [sic] The inhale of Pink Sticks delivers rich creamy tones of strawberry cookie butter on the inhale with buttery cream on the exhale. Delicious, sweet, and instantly satisfying, this impressive dessert flavor will become one of your favorites!"

The FDA and FTC have asked each of the companies issued warning letters to respond within 15 working days, and the letters noted that failure to address specific concerns and correct violations may result in seizure or injunction of the products.

"The products noted in the warning letters are considered misbranded in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act because their labeling and/or advertising imitating kid-friendly foods is false or misleading," the FDA statement noted. "The FTC joined the FDA on the warning letters under Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, which prohibits unfair or deceptive advertising."

"Protecting young children from unwarranted health and safety risks is one of our highest priorities," said Acting FTC Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen. "Nicotine is highly toxic, and these letters make clear that marketing methods that put kids at risk of nicotine poisoning are unacceptable."

Between January 2012 and April 2017, 8,269 toxic exposures among young children linked to e-cigarette liquid were reported to poison control centers in the U.S., researchers reported last week.

Ingestion of e-cigarette liquid containing nicotine by young children can result in death from cardiac arrest, seizure, coma, and respiratory arrest.

Even though it is illegal to sell e-cigarettes to people younger than 18, national survey data suggest that more than 2 million middle school and high school students were current users of e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine devices in 2016.

The FDA is also currently considering taking other regulatory actions to curtail underage use of e-cigarettes, including banning flavors that appeal to younger users.

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